Online children’s store Bilna raises funds to expand into new vertical

Funding secured from existing investors Cyber ​​​​Agent Ventures and East Ventures and new investors DGI, TMS and Golden Gate Ventures

Bilna.com, an Indonesian online baby store, today announced it has raised an undisclosed amount in a new round of investment from existing investors Cyber ​​​​Agent Ventures (CAV) and East Ventures, and new investors DG Incubation (DGI), TMS Entertainment (TMS), and Golden Gate Ventures. The round was led by DGI.

Eka Himawan, co-founder and COO/CFO of Bilna, noted that the decision to include Japanese entertainment company TMS was driven by both “financial and strategic” reasons. He said: “(TMS) has shown a desire to grow its presence in Indonesia, and really the media entertainment business is not just about production… but also about distribution of content and merchandise. That’s an area where we can mutually benefit.”

Himawan said the new funding will see the team grow into the new vertical, expanding and modernising its warehouse to build a scalable operation that can handle higher volumes. The new vertical is said to be unveiled in February, but he told e27 it will “still be in e-commerce” and will focus on its “core customers”, which are women with families.

Read also: Indonesian E-commerce: Is the Princess Waking Up?

Founded in 2012, Bilna saw one in three customers return for more purchases in its first full fiscal year. Orders also peaked at more than 1,000 per day. The platform says it sells “nearly 10,000” SKUs, with “nearly 500 international and local brands.”

Ferry Tenka, Co-Founder and CEO of Bilna, said: “We are excited to receive the additional support of world-class investors such as DGI, TMS and Golden Gate Ventures as we strive to become the most customer-centric e-commerce company in Indonesia.”

However, the board was said to have set “aggressive targets” for the coming year. In 2014, Bilna will embark on more joint promotions with executives, banks, media companies and telecoms. Himawan said: “What we saw in 2013 was just the tip of the iceberg.”

Currently, the team consists of over 70 employees and in 2014 we plan to double the number of employees.

In Indonesia, Bilna’s main competitor is Tororo, a new online baby store headed by Ken Dean Lawadinata, who is also CEO of Kaskus, an Indonesian forum. But there are online stores in the region, such as Ta Em Be in Vietnam and Singapore’s White As Milk, which are involved in vertical businesses.

Bilna’s Team

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